huckepack

Timberline Trail

Length

Stated
66.8 km, the stated length (USDA Forest Service)
Map line
64.4 km, OpenStreetMap along the official track
Used for
The charts on this page, and comparing trails in the search

66.8km

Difficulty

What
How hard the trail is, in three ways: the terrain, the climate in season and the length of the days
Scale
Easy to Hard, with the same thresholds for every trail; each takes its hardest measure
Keep in mind
It describes the trail, not how it will feel to you: that depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather you get
  • Terrain: DemandingPath grade: ≈ T3
  • Climate: Moderate in Jul–AugHeat: 23 °C by day (August)
  • Effort: HardAverage day: ≈ 8 h 15 (an average day over 3 days)

All measures

Terrain: Demanding; Climate: Moderate in Jul–Aug; Effort: Hard

Suggested

No stages
No official stages: hikers choose their own camps
Source
USDA Forest Service, Mt. Hood National Forest

3–4days

Per day

How
The length and the ascent over the suggested 3–4 days: from the most days to the fewest
Length
USDA Forest Service
Days
USDA Forest Service, Mt. Hood National Forest
Ascent
The terrain model's estimate (≈): no source states the climbs

16.7–22.3km· about 760–1,020 m ↑
Season

Landscape

Source
ESA WorldCover satellite land cover, along the main route
  • Forest: 69%
  • Grassland and shrubs: 19%
  • Bare rock and sand: 11%
  • Water, snow and ice: 1%
  • Moss and lichen: 0%

Landscape along the route

Mostly Forest

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons by U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region; each photo's licence in the gallery

Location

Country
United States
Regions
Oregon
Start
Timberline Lodge
Finish
Timberline Lodge
Route type
Loop
Permit
Required
Travel hubs
  • Portland International Airport (PDX)94.4 km by road · 92 min
  • Portland Union Station100.1 km by road · 98 min
Protected areas
Mount Hood Wilderness
Managed by
USDA Forest Service, Mt. Hood National ForestOfficial website
GPX
GPX trackOur tracing from OpenStreetMap
  • Trail
  • Start and finish
  • Contour lines

Difficulty

Terrain

Rates
How hard is the ground to walk: the path, the climbing, the steep bits, the ground underfoot?
How
Rated over the whole main route.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Path grade
the trail's SAC grade, stated, converted or estimated
  1. EasyT1
  2. ModerateT2
  3. DemandingT3
  4. HardT4 to T6
Climbing
the stated ascent over the stated length (else the terrain model's over the map line)
  1. Easyunder 15 m per km
  2. Moderate15–30 m
  3. Demanding30–50 m
  4. Hard50 m or more
Steep stretches
share of the route steeper than 15 %, up or down (terrain model)
  1. Easyunder 5 %
  2. Moderate5–15 %
  3. Demanding15–30 %
  4. Hard30 % or more
Natural ground
share on footpaths and trails (OpenStreetMap); never Hard on its own
  1. Easyunder a third
  2. Moderatea third to two thirds
  3. Demandingtwo thirds or more

Demanding

  • SAC hiking scale

    This trail
    T3 (our estimate)
    Basis
    The Forest Service rates the trail Most Difficult: it climbs in and out of glacier-fed drainages, with fast-moving river fords that have no bridges (Newton, Coe, Muddy Fork, Sandy and White Rivers, typically not more than knee deep), snowfields early in the season that need good footing, a wash-out north of Ramona Falls and blowdown between Muddy Fork and Yocum Ridge, and it is not fully maintained. Demanding mountain hiking (T3).
    Scale
    The Swiss Alpine Club's hiking scale, from T1 (easy) to T6 (very hard)
    Why
    Trails rate difficulty in many local scales, or only in words; we translate each into this one so trails compare
    Keep in mind
    An estimate: how hard a trail feels depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather
    T1 · Hiking
    Well-made paths, mostly flat or gently sloping. No risk of falling; trainers are enough.
    T2 · Mountain hiking
    A continuous path, steep in places, where a fall can't be ruled out. Be sure-footed; wear hiking boots.
    T3 · Demanding mountain hiking
    The path is not always visible; exposed spots may have chains or ropes, and you may need your hands for balance.
    T4 · Alpine hiking
    Often no path. Hands are needed in places, terrain is exposed, and there can be easy snowfields.
    T5 · Demanding alpine hiking
    Mostly pathless, with easy climbing and exposed, demanding terrain. Needs alpine experience.
    T6 · Difficult alpine hiking
    Pathless, very exposed, with climbing and glaciers. For experienced mountaineers only.

    The scale at the Swiss Alpine Club

    estimated T3
  • Climbingestimated 49 m per km
  • Steep stretches14 % of the way
  • Natural ground100 %

Climate

Rates
How hot, cold, wet and windy does it get?
How
From 30 years of daily weather (ERA5), rated per month. Without months picked: the trail's best run of at least two season months, each measure at its hardest month. Pick months in the search to rate it for yours.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Heat
mean daily high at the lowest point
  1. Easyunder 22 °C
  2. Moderate22–27 °C
  3. Demanding27–32 °C
  4. Hard32 °C or more
Cold
mean nightly low at the highest point
  1. Easy8 °C or more
  2. Moderate3–8 °C
  3. Demanding−2 to 3 °C
  4. Hardbelow −2 °C
Wet days
days a month with 1 mm of rain or more, the wetter of both points
  1. Easyunder 10
  2. Moderate10–14
  3. Demanding14–18
  4. Hard18 or more
Snow
days a month with 1 cm of snow or more at the highest point
  1. Easyunder 1 day
  2. Moderate1–3 days
  3. Demanding3–6 days
  4. Hard6 days or more
Wind
mean of the day's strongest wind (hourly mean, 10 m above ground), the windier of both points; over land: a point whose 25 km weather cell is mostly sea takes the nearest mostly-land cell's
  1. Easyunder 15 km/h
  2. Moderate15–20 km/h
  3. Demanding20–25 km/h
  4. Hard25 km/h or more

Moderate in Jul–Aug

  • Heat · August23 °C by day
  • Cold · July3 °C at night
  • Wet days · August4 days
  • Snow · July0 days
  • Wind · July13 km/h

Effort

Rates
How long are the days?
How
No official stages: rated by an average day at the fewest suggested days, the hardest plan a source suggests.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Average day
walking time of an average day at the fewest suggested days (length and climbs divided evenly), by DIN 33466
  1. Easyup to 4 h
  2. Moderate4–6 h
  3. Demanding6–8 h
  4. Hardmore than 8 h

Hard

  • Average day · an average day over 3 daysestimated 8 h 15

Climate

Days in season · lowest point
13–23°C
Nights in season · highest point
−3 to 4°C
Wet days a month
3–14
Daylight
10.8–15.3h
SeasonDay high and night low−20 °C−10 °C0 °C10 °C20 °C30 °CWet days, at the highest point5101520Daylight9.1 h10.3 h11.8 h13.5 h14.9 h15.6 h15.3 h14.1 h12.5 h10.8 h9.4 h8.7 hJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Climate by month, 1995–2024 average
MonthLowest point, day high / night low (°C)Highest point, day high / night low (°C)Wet daysSnow daysFrost nights at the highest pointDaylight (h)
January2.9 / -2.8-4.7 / -10.419.618.8319.1
February3.6 / -2.9-3.9 / -10.317.216.428.310.3
March5.6 / -1.8-1.9 / -9.319.618.53111.8
April8.5 / 00.9 / -7.317.315.629.613.5
May13.4 / 3.95.9 / -3.414.410.125.814.9
June17.4 / 7.110.3 / -0.110.24.615.715.6
July23.1 / 10.516.4 / 3.43.30.23.115.3
August23.4 / 10.816.5 / 3.740.23.314.1
September19.5 / 8.412.4 / 1.172.310.912.5
October12.6 / 4.25.3 / -3.213.79.926.210.8
November6.1 / -0.3-1.4 / -7.718.416.929.69.4
December2.5 / -3.2-5.1 / -10.719.618.6318.7

Climate by month

Source
ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, averages for 1995–2024
Places
The trail's lowest and highest point, adjusted to their height
Bars
From the mean night low to the mean day high
Wet days
At least 1 mm of rain; snow days at least 1 cm of snow
Daylight
Sunrise to sunset in the middle of the month
Shading
The trail's season

Terrain

Highest · lowest point
2,235m high1,002m low

Gradient

Steepest climb
21 % (12°), 105 m up over 500 m
Steepest descent
−19 % (11°), 95 m down over 500 m
Gradient
Height per distance: 20 % is 20 m up per 100 m forward; 100 % is 45°, not 90°
Keep in mind
Averages over 500 m from a 30 m terrain model: steps and ladders within them are steeper
GradientAngleFeels like
10 %6°Noticeable on a road
20 %11°A steep path, slow going
30 %17°Very steep, often steps
100 %45°Scrambling

21% ↑−19% ↓

Steep stretches

This trail
4.4 km up, 4.4 km down: the darkest parts of the profile
Steep
15 % or more (9°, 15 m of height per 100 m), in 200 m stretches
Why it matters
Slow going uphill, hard on the knees downhill

8.8km

Surfaces

  • Natural ground: 100%, 62.7 km. Earth, grass, rock and roots: footpaths and forest trails. Can be muddy after rain.

100% natural
1,200 m1,600 m2,000 m2,235 m10203040500 km62.7 km

Terrain along the route

Heights
Copernicus terrain model, 30 m grid, every 100 m along the main route; in forests it reads the treetops
Colours
Each 200 m by its gradient in walking direction: climbs warm, descents violet, darker when steeper (to ±30 %)
Ground
The strip below, from OpenStreetMap; the 0% without a surface tag is read from the way type (footpaths natural, tracks gravel)

Landscape

Forest69%Grassland and shrubs19%Moss and lichen0%Bare rock and sand11%Water, snow and ice1%10203040500 km62.7 km

Landscape along the route

Source
ESA WorldCover 2021, a 10 m satellite map
Points
Every 100 m along the main route; each takes the most common class within 30 m, so the path itself doesn't count as bare ground
Groups
Its eleven classes, folded into the six shown
Keep in mind
What the landscape looks like, not which plants grow there

Sleeping

Wild camping is restricted. Camping in the Mount Hood Wilderness, in established campsites where there are some; not within any meadow, the tree-covered islands of Elk Cove and Elk Meadows or 500 feet of Ramona Falls. Campfires are prohibited near Ramona Falls and McNeil Point, in Elk Cove, Elk Meadows and Paradise Park; groups of at most 12.

9.2 km without a bedCamping42Huts4Hostels0Rooms010203040500 km62.7 km

Places to sleep along the route

Ticks
One per place to sleep: 42 campsites, 4 huts, 0 hostels, 0 guest houses
Counted
Within 1 km of the trail; no hotels or day shelters
Shaded
The longest stretch without any, km 36.7–45.9
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list closed ones, so book or check locally

Water & Supply

Clean water

This trail
9.2 km without clean water, km 36.7–45.9
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Within 500 m: 2 taps, fountains and drinking springs, 1 places to sleep with drinking water, 39 refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites
Refills
Guests come first and many close out of season: ask, and carry a little extra. Places marked without drinking water are left out
Source
OpenStreetMap; the counts include the approach and variant, the chart shows the main route

9.2kmFrequent

Any water

This trail
9.2 km without any water, km 36.7–45.9
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Clean water, plus the 0 springs within 500 m
Keep in mind
Spring water's quality is unknown: filter, boil or treat it, and expect some springs to run dry in late summer

9.2kmFrequent

Shops

This trail
62.7 km without a shop, km 0–62.7
Counted
0 supermarkets, convenience and general stores and petrol station shops, within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of the start and finish
Keep in mind
Small village shops are often missing in OpenStreetMap, and opening hours vary: check before relying on one

62.7km
Water · 9.2 km withoutPublic drinking water · 41.7 km withoutSprings (treat before drinking) · 62.7 km withoutRefills at places to sleep · 9.8 km withoutShops · 62.7 km without10203040500 km62.7 km

Water and shops along the route

Ticks
One per place along the main route
Counted
Drinking water and springs within 500 m; refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites within 500 m; shops within 1 km, or 3 km of the start and finish
Shaded
Each lane's longest stretch without. "Water" counts every kind and opens into one lane per kind, each with its own
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list ones that have closed or run dry, so check locally

Wildlife

Wildlife

Shows
Animals that can be dangerous to hikers on this trail: large animals, venomous snakes, scorpions and spiders, ticks, and plants that harm on touch
Level
Ours, read from the official source
High
A bite of a species it calls common can be life-threatening within hours
Moderate
It warns of attacks or serious harm, or places the trail in a risk area for tick-borne encephalitis
Low
The harm is mostly minor or treatable, or avoidable by how you behave
What to do
From the official sources: USDA Forest Service; Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Pictures
Silhouettes from PhyloPic, not to scale, each maker named with its advice; the landscape is the trail's own, drawn by us

Black bear ModerateCougar Low

Black bear

Moderate danger

Black bears live throughout the forest; most are wary of people, but bears that find human food lose their fear of them.

If you meet one

  • Do not run. Remain calm
  • Group together and pick up small children
  • Continue to face the bear and back away slowly, talking calmly to identify yourself as a human
  • If the bear continues to approach, make yourself as large and imposing as possible and make loud noises
  • Carry bear spray and know how to use it
  • Keep food and other attractants in bear-resistant containers; cook and store food away from your sleeping area

Don't

  • Do not feed bears or other wildlife
  • Do not store food or any scented items in a tent
  • If you see a cub alone, don't approach

Advice: USDA Forest Service. Level: ours. Silhouette: Abby Weber (Ursus americanus), PhyloPic, public domain.

Cougar (mountain lion)

Low danger

Virtually the whole forest is cougar territory; an approach is unlikely and attacks are rare, but they have happened, fatally on Mount Hood in 2018.

If you meet one

  • Hike in groups, make some noise as you go and stay alert
  • Keep dogs on a leash
  • If a cougar does approach: stay calm and slowly back away
  • Make eye contact
  • Make yourself bigger; raise your arms, hold small children
  • Shout, wave your arms, throw things at the animal

Don't

  • Don't run: a cougar could mistake you for prey and give chase
  • Don't bend down, and don't scream

Advice: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Level: ours. Silhouette: Margot Michaud (Puma concolor), PhyloPic, public domain.